A scoping review of 76 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on surgical prehabilitation identified a common definition. Surgical prehabilitation is a process from diagnosis to surgery, consisting of one or more preoperative interventions such as exercise, nutrition, psychological strategies, and respiratory training, aimed at enhancing functional capacity and physiological reserve to allow patients to withstand surgical stressors, improve postoperative outcomes, and facilitate recovery. The review found that more than half of the RCTs explicitly defined surgical prehabilitation. The proposed definition was developed through qualitative analysis of the studies, combining inductive and deductive methods. The definition includes timing (before surgery), modalities (exercise, nutrition, psychological, and respiratory training), and objectives (enhancing functional capacity and physiological reserve). The review highlights the need for a standardized definition to guide future research and improve the consistency and quality of prehabilitation interventions. The proposed definition is a first step towards standardization, which is essential for advancing the field of prehabilitation. The review also acknowledges that some components, such as medical optimization and education, were not commonly included in the definitions, but may still be relevant in certain contexts. The study emphasizes the importance of collaboration among patients, clinicians, researchers, and health system leaders to achieve a widely accepted definition. The review concludes that a common definition is necessary to guide future high-quality research and advance the field of prehabilitation.A scoping review of 76 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on surgical prehabilitation identified a common definition. Surgical prehabilitation is a process from diagnosis to surgery, consisting of one or more preoperative interventions such as exercise, nutrition, psychological strategies, and respiratory training, aimed at enhancing functional capacity and physiological reserve to allow patients to withstand surgical stressors, improve postoperative outcomes, and facilitate recovery. The review found that more than half of the RCTs explicitly defined surgical prehabilitation. The proposed definition was developed through qualitative analysis of the studies, combining inductive and deductive methods. The definition includes timing (before surgery), modalities (exercise, nutrition, psychological, and respiratory training), and objectives (enhancing functional capacity and physiological reserve). The review highlights the need for a standardized definition to guide future research and improve the consistency and quality of prehabilitation interventions. The proposed definition is a first step towards standardization, which is essential for advancing the field of prehabilitation. The review also acknowledges that some components, such as medical optimization and education, were not commonly included in the definitions, but may still be relevant in certain contexts. The study emphasizes the importance of collaboration among patients, clinicians, researchers, and health system leaders to achieve a widely accepted definition. The review concludes that a common definition is necessary to guide future high-quality research and advance the field of prehabilitation.